Democratic candidates for the U.S. Senate have been the target of Islamophobic attacks from President Trump.
Published October 26, 2026
DETROIT, MI – Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed dismissed U.S. President Donald Trump’s anti-Muslim attacks against him, calling them an attempt to divert attention from the president’s own record.
At a news conference in Detroit on Monday, El-Sayed said that by accusing Democratic candidates of being “jihadists,” Trump was trying to distract from issues important to Americans, such as gas prices and the war with Iran.
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El-Sayed called the attack “bias and deception without evidence.”
The Democratic candidate said of Republicans, “They’re not saying anything about solving your life’s problems. They’re not talking about you.”
“They’re not talking about gasoline or groceries. They’re not talking about clean air or clean water. They’re not talking about things that the government should actually solve. Why? Because Donald Trump created those problems.”
At a rally in Michigan on Sunday, President Trump repeated his baseless claims against El-Sayed and accused Democrats of trying to impose “Sharia law” on the country.
President Trump “will be the only senator to have to go through a metal detector before entering the Senate,” Trump said. “I want him to have a metal detector.”
El-Sayed laughed off suggestions that he could pose a physical threat to parliament. “He knows I have Wolverine claws,” he said, referring to the sports teams at his alma mater, the University of Michigan.
The progressive Democrat and former public health official is running a close race against former Republican Rep. Mike Rogers, in a race that could decide the Senate majority for the next two years.
Mr. Rogers has made unsubstantiated claims about Mr. El-Sayed’s ties to the Muslim Brotherhood, Hamas, and Hezbollah a central focus of his campaign.
El-Sayed said Monday that most Americans reject such attacks.
“There are always a few little people who want to make America that small. They get it, but they’re very loud and barky,” El-Sayed said.
“The majority of people in this state believe in a big America. They are generous and big-hearted. And America’s story is that those who believe in a big America will overcome the deceptions, distractions, and sad attempts of small-minded people to make us smaller.”
He added, “Michiganders are much bigger than that.”
El-Sayed also addressed comments that mocked Trump’s name and misrepresented him as “Mohammed.”
“My name and my faith is not the reason you can’t buy gas, it’s not the reason you can’t buy groceries, it’s not the reason you can’t pay your rent or mortgage, it’s not the reason you can’t see a doctor,” he said.
